The Mythology of Skinwalkers: Traits and Contemporary Perspectives

Essential Insights

Skinwalkers, rooted in Navajo mythology, are malevolent beings with the ability to morph into animals like wolves, coyotes, or birds to commit harmful acts. Often mistaken for werewolves, they wield supernatural powers such as incredible speed, stealth, and the ability to mimic voices or appearances to deceive or harm others.

Discover more about skinwalkers, their traits, and how they are depicted in modern culture.

What Are Skinwalkers?

In Navajo (Diné) folklore, skinwalkers are evil witches who can transform into, possess, or disguise themselves as animals. Known as yee naaldlooshii, which means "with it, he goes on all fours," they are feared for their dark powers.

To become a skinwalker, one must perform an unspeakable act, such as murdering a family member. This grants them supernatural abilities, enabling them to shift between human and animal forms at will. They commonly take the shape of coyotes, wolves, foxes, or bears, but can assume the form of any creature.

Numerous reports of skinwalkers describe animals walking upright on their hind legs. For instance, one individual recounted, "My uncle and cousin spotted a large deer by the roadside. As they approached, it leaped over the fence like a two-legged human."

The Role of Witches in Navajo Tradition

In Navajo culture, both men and women can be witches, though the term is predominantly associated with men. This contrasts with other societies where the word "witch" usually refers to women.

Skinwalkers and Misfortune

In Navajo belief, skinwalkers are frequently blamed for various misfortunes, including illness, bad luck, or unexplained deaths. As witches skilled in dark magic, they are thought to manipulate and harm others. Consequently, unusual or unexpected events, such as crop failures, are often attributed to their malevolent actions.

Traits and Supernatural Powers of Skinwalkers

Below are some key traits and powers that define skinwalkers:

Becoming a Skinwalker: The Path of Witchery

In Navajo culture, individuals become skinwalkers by performing forbidden acts, such as killing a close family member, as part of a dark ritual to enter the Witchery Way. This process involves learning dark magic, including shapeshifting and casting harmful curses, to inflict suffering on others.

The Witchery Way is a branch of Navajo witchcraft centered on harmful practices, standing in opposition to the healing and protective aspects of traditional spirituality. Those who follow this path wield their powers for personal benefit or vengeance.

Identifying a Skinwalker

Identifying a skinwalker is difficult due to their shapeshifting abilities and their knack for blending into their environment. However, some indicators include strange animal behavior, such as animals acting oddly or displaying glowing eyes, which may suggest a skinwalker's presence.

Even in human form, skinwalkers may exhibit unnatural or distorted movements. They often evoke overwhelming fear or discomfort in those nearby. Hearing voices or animal sounds that mimic human speech is also commonly linked to their presence.

Sightings and Debates Surrounding Skinwalkers

Numerous reports of skinwalker sightings exist, but many have been debunked. For instance, a viral Facebook post claimed a skinwalker was spotted in New Mexico. However, it was later revealed that the image was from a movie.

Some portrayals of skinwalkers are also misleading, such as a 2017 episode of "Ghost Adventures" on the Travel Channel, which presented an inaccurate depiction.

As reported by ICT News, an anonymous source stated, "We were deeply disturbed by the absurd claims made in 'Ghost Adventures.' They staged a fire with an animal skull, feather, and bullet, accompanied by outlandish explanations from non-Navajo individuals who fabricated a story to fit their narrative. It seemed they either accepted the wildest tales without question or invented them entirely. References to a phoenix in a cave and an arch as a portal to evil are entirely foreign to our culture. I question whether the Navajo participants in that episode were aware of the producers' fabrications. It was both absurd and disheartening — a poorly executed, damaging misrepresentation of Navajo traditions."

Protecting Yourself From Skinwalkers

Skinwalkers are notorious for causing harm and are incredibly difficult to capture or eliminate. To defeat a skinwalker, a skilled shaman is required, one who knows the precise rituals and incantations to force the skinwalker to turn against itself. Another method involves using bullets coated in white ash, but the shot must strike the neck or hand to be effective.

Hidden Navajo Witches

In his 1944 publication "Navaho Witchcraft," renowned anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn delved into the magical practices of the Navajo people. His work focused on the "manipulation of events through supernatural means that are socially condemned."

Kluckhohn observed that terms like "witchcraft" in English serve as convenient labels but are not entirely accurate. While parallels can be drawn between European witches and skinwalkers, the Navajo spiritual realm remains distinctly unique.

Through interviews with Navajo individuals, Kluckhohn compiled general descriptions of various witchcraft forms in Navajo lore. He characterized skinwalkers as clandestine witches (predominantly male, with some females) who venture out at night, transforming into swift animals such as wolves and coyotes.

Shape-shifting Entities Across Cultures

Although skinwalkers are unique to Navajo tradition, shape-shifting beings appear in various cultures worldwide.

Skinwalker Ranch

Skinwalker Ranch, also known as Sherman Ranch, is located near the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in Utah and is renowned for its bizarre occurrences. The ranch has inspired a bestselling book ("Hunt for the Skinwalker"), a documentary with the same title, and a History Channel series ("The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch").

According to accounts, Terry Sherman and his family became famous after experiencing a series of unexplainable events on their Utah property, which became known as "Skinwalker Ranch" due to its association with Navajo legends of shapeshifting witches. The 512-acre ranch in the Uintah Basin has been the site of numerous strange incidents, including UFO sightings, livestock mutilations, and other enigmatic activities.

In 1996, the Sherman family sold the ranch to billionaire Robert Bigelow, who had a deep fascination with paranormal phenomena. Bigelow founded the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) to study the strange occurrences reported at the location.

The ranch has since become a focal point for paranormal and UFO-related events, generating widespread curiosity, doubt, and numerous investigations. In 2016, Robert Bigelow transferred ownership of the ranch to Brandon Fugal.

"From encounters with legendary creatures to frequent cattle mutilations, poltergeist activity, crop circles, sightings of glowing orbs, and even UFOs, nearly every conceivable 'paranormal' event has been reported at the ranch and its surrounding areas," noted Austin Craig in a 2021 TechBuzz article.

Fugal mentioned to the publication that the property has a century-long history of paranormal activity, including sightings of skinwalkers.

The Ute Tribe Avoids the Ranch

The Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation is the homeland of the Ute tribe. Historically, the Ute enslaved some Navajo people and allied with U.S. forces against the Navajo during the Civil War. This led to the Navajo being driven from their lands in the Four Corners region, though they eventually returned.

The Ute believed the Navajo cursed them and left shape-shifters among them as retribution for their actions. This is reportedly why the Ute avoid Skinwalker Ranch.

Past owners of the ranch have described bizarre events. Fugal mentioned that when he purchased the ranch in 2016, he didn’t expect to witness anything out of the ordinary. However, just six months later, he observed "UFO activity" in broad daylight.

Researching the Skinwalker

Since Kluckhohn’s research, other anthropologists have examined and documented skinwalker beliefs. In her 1984 book "Some Kind of Power," Margaret K. Brady investigated the social significance of skinwalker stories among Navajo children. She highlighted how these tales serve as both spooky childhood stories and reflections of modern Navajo cultural issues.

In her 2016 book "Upward, Not Sunwise," anthropologist Kimberly Jenkins Marshall examined how skinwalker narratives and beliefs persist within neo-pentecostal Navajo communities.

Although it may appear contradictory for someone to embrace Christianity while still believing in skinwalkers, Marshall investigated how traditional beliefs endure despite cultural shifts.

In the 2007 journal article "Watching Navajos Watch Themselves," anthropologist Sam Pack analyzed how media portrayals of Navajo culture, including the 2002 film "Skinwalkers," often misrepresent and conflict with the Navajo people's own cultural identity.

Cultural Appropriation and Celebration

This brings us to another critical issue in the media's portrayal of skinwalkers: cultural appropriation. Pack noted that many Navajo viewers he interviewed enjoyed the film "Skinwalkers," even though it contained cultural and linguistic inaccuracies.

However, he also emphasized, "This does not imply that the Navajo participants in my study did not question the authority of both Anglos and non-Navajos to produce such films."

While the 2002 film "Skinwalkers" was directed by Chris Eyre, a member of the Cheyenne/Arapaho tribe, and featured a mostly Native American (though non-Navajo) cast, other portrayals of skinwalkers in media have been created by non-Native individuals.

In 2016, J.K. Rowling, the creator of "Harry Potter," faced backlash for incorporating a modified version of skinwalkers into her online series, "History of Magic in North America." Critics argued that the series trivialized a significant and interconnected aspect of Native beliefs, using it as a mere plot device in a story centered on Anglo perspectives.

Celebrations

In the Oregonian's report on the controversy, Douglas Perry highlighted an example of an Anglo author whose portrayal of Navajo culture was positively received by the Navajo Nation.

The late author Tony Hillerman received the Navajo Special Friends of the Dineh Award in 1991. Hillerman often explored Navajo culture and values in his works, including the 1986 detective novel "Skinwalkers," which served as the basis for Chris Eyre's 2002 film adaptation.

So, where does this leave us with the enigmatic skinwalker? Many modern Native Americans believe its rightful place is within the living traditions and beliefs of the Navajo people — and that it should not be subject to reinterpretation or reinvention by outsiders. Let the skinwalker remain a creature of the night.